ETF, alongside its transport unions and transport workers from France, Switzerland, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium took Lyon’s streets for Fair Transport.
On 28 June, thousands gathered to march for Fair Transport to demand decent jobs, pay and working conditions, but also to protest for the basic right of workers to be heard and listened to.
On the same day, Lyon hosted Connecting Europe Days; a recurring event organised this year by the European Commission and the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
For two days, the event gathers politicians, industry representatives and the European Commission to discuss transport and mobility – without transport workers’ representatives. The very workers that allowed them to get to Lyon.
ETF General Secretary, Livia Spera, spoke out at the Fair Transport rally:
“Liberalisation has failed workers, environment & society: Across Europe, transport workers are fighting against lack of decent jobs, and the politicians who don’t want to face reality! We’ll keep fighting at every workplace, in every country and all together in Europe!”
Throughout Europe, workers are fighting the same fight and taking industrial action against low salaries, loss of jobs and shortage of decent work.
Decades of liberalisation, privatisation, and a focus on competition and cheap transport have created the inevitable: a shortage of decent work – transport workers no longer want to work in an industry that cannot be bothered to provide them with decent jobs.
The ETF is ready to work with those who are willing, to build a Fair Transport Alliance to guarantee quality jobs for transport workers, and a safe, reliable service for customers and where environmental and social sustainability go hand in hand.
